Cooler for faucet-equipped beverage containers

ABSTRACT

A refrigerated cooler-dispenser for drinking water or other beverage which is packaged in a rigid or semi-rigid, faucet equipped container. The cooler-dispenser features a thermally insulated cabinet having a cooling compartment to receive and support one or more cubicle beverage containers in forwardly and downwardly tilted positions with the faucets of the beverage containers extending forwardly outwardly through a recessed closure for the cooling compartment, and wherein the cabinet is equipped with exteriorly accessible, manually operable faucet actuators adapted to engage and manipulate the faucet of the beverage containers between open and closed positions.

United States Patent 1191 Taylor 11] 3,811,294 1451 May 21,1974

COOLER FOR FAUCET-EQUIPPED BEVERAGE CONTAINERS Primary Examiner-MeyerPerlin [75] Inventor: William Taylor, Columbus, Ohio t or Firm-WilliamRambo [73] Assignee: Ebco Manufacturing Company, [57] ABSTRACT Columbus,Ohio A f d 1 d f d k re rigerate coo erispenser or rm ing water or [221Med: 1973 other beverage which is packaged in a rigid or semi- [2] A N335,041 rigid, faucet equipped container. Thecooler-dispenser features athermally insulated cabinet having a cooling compartment to receive andsupport one or more cu- [52] U.S. Cl 62/390, 62/396, 222/146 bidebeverage containers in forwardly and down [51 1 :9. wardly tiltedpositions withthe faucets of the beverage or Search /39 containersextendingforwardly outwardly through a l 9 ll recessed closure for thecooling compartment, and wherein the cabinet is equipped with exteriorlyacces- [56] References Clted sible, manually operable faucet actuatorsadapted to UNITED STATES PATENTS engage and manipulate the faucet of thebeverage 2,151,104 3/1939 Heitman 62/390 containers between open andclosed positions. 3,237,810 3/1966 Gran 62/390 1 a 3,435,990 4/1969Pike; 222/146-R' 2 Clauns, 5 Drawing Flgures [7 l T la (Q\ I/ I a 2 u -v,4 l5

MFENTEBIM! 1914 $811,294.

SHEU .1 BF 3 COOLER FOR FAUCET-EQUIPPED BEVERAGE CONTAINERSBACKGROUND-OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates generally torefrigerated water or beverage coolers and dispensers. Moreparticularly, this invention is concerned with a cabinettype,electrically refrigerated cooler-dispenser which is adapted to house andcool one or more cubicle type, rigid or semi-rigidbeverage containerswhile providing ready exterior access to the usual discharge valve orfaucet of such containers.

So-called bottle-type water coolers have met with widespread acceptancein homes, offices, factories and other populated areas. Thesebottle-type water coolers usually comprise an upright, floor-supportedcabinet or base in which is contained a conventional, electricallyactuated refrigeration system having a cooling reservoir to receive themouth of an inverted, five gallon water bottle, and a system of outletpipes and valves to provide for the gravitational discharge of chilleddrinking water from the cooler.

However, these inverted water bottle-type coolers were and are subjectto numerous objections stemming principally from the difficulty ofhandling and the expense of the heavy, large capacity water bottles.Another objection to the bottle-type water cooler stems from the factthat the drinking water must be transferred from the sterile bottlethrough the air-vented, normally unsterilized reservoir, pipe and faucetvalve system of the cooler, and the otherwise pure drinking watersometimes becomes contaminated with impurities during its storage in andtravel through the cooler, thus creating a health problem.

Also, while it has been heretofore proposed to userefrigerated, cabinettype coolers for the storage and dispensing of milk packaged in flexibleplastic bag-type containers. particularly in comparatively largerestaurant operations, such bag-type coolers are relatively difficult toload and operate without serious wastage or contamination of the milk.

SUMMARY AND OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION This invention provides animproved, electrically refrigerated cooler-dispenser fordisposable-type, faucetequipped plastic beverage containers and whichmakes provision for the direct dispensation of the beverage from thecontainer without passage thereof.

through the cooler'itself. Toward this end, the coolerdispensercomprises a table or pedestal-supported, cabinet structure. which housesa conventional electrically-operated refrigeration system and whichprovides therein a thermally insulated, cooling compartment adapted toreceive and chill one or more rigid. or semirigid cubicle-shaped.plastic beverage containers of the type having a manually operabledischarge valve or faucet extending outwardly from a lower forwardcorner hereof. and wherein the cooling compartment is defined in part bya downwardly and forwardly sloping bottom wall to support the beveragecontainer(s) in a forwardly tilted position and thereby facilitate thedischarge of the contents of the container(s), and a removable door orclosure panel which is recessed or notched to permit the faucet(s) ofthe beverage container(s) to project outwardly from the coolingcompartment for easy access and manipulation.

A primary object of this invention is to provide a cooler forfaucet-equipped, disposable plastic-type beverage containers which isefficient in its cooling function, which provides convenient access toits cooling compartment for the loading and unloading of beveragecontainers therein, and which provides for the exterior manipulation anddischarge of beverage from the container faucet without transfer of thebeverage to any part of the cooler itself.

Another object is to provide a convenient and compactelectrically-operated cooler for drinking'water or otherbeverage whichis packaged in a sterile condition in a rigid or semi-rigid disposableplastic container of generally cubicle shape, and which provides for thedispensingof the beverage directly from the faucet of the containerwithout removal of the container from the cooler.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be morereadily apparent from the following description and the accompanyingdrawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS:

line 4-4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a detailed vertical sectional view taken along the line 5-5 ofFIG. 3 and showing one of the faucet actuators operatively engaged withthe faucet of one of the beverage containers positioned in the cooler.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawings, itwill be seen that the present cooler comprises a vertically elongated,rectangular cabinet or outer housing 10 which is preferably supportedfor operation upon a table top or counter, not shown. The cabinet 10 isdivided internally by a transverse, horizontal partitionwall 11 into alower, machinery-containing compartment 12 and an upper refrigeratingcompartment 13. The lower compartment 12 preferably houses the usualcomponents of an electrically-operated, refrigeration system, includingan electric motor, compressor, condenser, valves and conduits, none ofwhich are shown in the drawings since they are well and familiarly knownto those skilled in the refrigeration art. The evaporator or cool ingcoils 14 of the refrigeration system are, however, shown in FIG. I asoccupying the upper, refrigerating compartment 13 and disposed inintimate, heatexchange contact with the bottom and rear walls 15 and 16of an inner, plastic liner or shell 17 carried within the uppercompartment 13. The inner plastic liner or shell 17 is, for the mostpart, carried in inwardly spaced relation to the adjacent outer walls ofthe cabinet 10, and the spaces between the outer walls of the cabinet 10and the inner liner or shell 11 is preferably filled with foamed plasticor other suitable thermal insulating material, not shown, so that thecooling coils l4 and inner shellll are well insulated from the outerwalls and lower compartment 12 of the cabinet 10.

cabinet along the upper forward corner of the cabi-' net. The bottomwall of the inner shell 17 is inclined slightly downwardly toward thefront of the cabinet and "merges with an integral, oppositely inclinedportion 15a to define on the forward portion of the bottom wall of theshell 17a transversely extending drain condensate trough 21. The innershell 17 is completed by a pair of opposed, upstanding side walls 22. Aswill be observed, the inner. shell 17 of the cabinet is preferablymolded from plastic or synthetic resin material and defines within theupper compartment 13 a forwardly opening, cubicle cooling chamber 23which is preferably of a size to receive two faucet-equipped, cubicalbeverage containers 24 in closely spaced, side-by-side relation.

A double wall door or closure panel 25 is removably carried insnug-fitting, closing relation to the forward opening of the coolingchamber 23 by means of a quick-release, flexible plastic latch26. Thelower edge 27 of the closurepanel 25 is formed with a pair of relativelyspaced arcuate notches or recesses 28 which are arranged to snugly fitvaround the stationary sleeve or outer barrel portion 29 of the manuallyoperable'faucets 30 of the beverage containers 24 positioned in thecooling chamber 23. As will beno'ted, the beverage containers 24preferably-comprise blow-molded, comparatively inexpensive plasticreceptacles of the disposable type which are commonly used by dairies topackage fluid milk in 2% galqquantities. A typical example of this typeof faucet-equipped, disposable plastic beverage container is shown inUS. Pat. No. 3,430,824 issued Mar. 4, 1969 to Conners et al.

As seen particularly in FIGS. 1 and 5, the walls of the inner liner orshell 17 which define the cooling chamber 23 and the inner wall oftheclosure panel 25 are designed and constructed to generally conform toand support a pair of these beverage containers 24 with the faucets 30thereof projecting outwardly through openings defined by the arcuate orsemi-circular recesses 28 formed in the lower edge 27 of the closurepanel 25 and a pair of complemental arcuate recesses 31 formed in thelower mounting flange 17a of the inner lineror shell 17. Thisarrangement provides exterior access toand for manipulation of theported valve cockelements 32 which are slidable axially within thestationary. barrel portions 29 of the faucets 30 to control the outflowof beverage from the containers 24.

Mounted beneath the lower edge 27 of the closure panel 25 and in a pairof adjacent recesses 33 and 34 formed in the front wall of the cabinetare a pair of stir rup-shaped faucet actuators 35 and 36. The right handactuator 36 is a mirror image of the left hand actuator 35 which willnow-be described in detail. The actuator 35 preferably comprises a sheetmetal strap or stamping formed with a horizontal crosspiece or bightportion 37 and a pair ofin tegral, down-turned legs 38 and 39. The leg39 is provided toward its lower end with a laterally outwardlyprojecting trunnion 40 which .is journalled for rotation or, pivotingmovement in an opening 41 formed in the adjacent wall of cabinet. Theleg 38 is also provided toward its lower end with a laterally projectingtrunnion 42 which extends through an opening 43 formed in the oppositeside wall'of the recess 33. Operatively connected with the trunnion 42is a coaxial torsion spring assembly 44 arranged to resiliently bias theactuator 35 toward its inward, valveclosing position as shown by fulllines in the several views of the drawings. The torsion spring assembly44, however, permits the actuator 35 to be moved manually against springpressure to a valve-opening position as shown by broken lines in FIG. 5.As shown particularly 7 in FIG. 4, the crosspiece or bight portion 37 ofthe actuator 35 is formed in its rearward or inner edge with a generallyT-shaped slot 45 adapted to receiveand confine therein the diametricallyenlarged, flat head portion 46 of the slidable valve cock 32 of thefaucet 30. As will be understood, the enlarged head portions 46 of thefaucet valves 30 of the beverage containers 24 are simply slippeddownwardly into the slots 45 of the actuators 35 and 36 when thecontainers 24 are initially placed in the cooling chamber 23 and whenthe closure panel is removed. When the closure panel is replaced, itsrecessed or notched lower edge portion 27 securely holds the necks orbarrels 29 of the faucets in position where the enlarged heads 46 of thevalve cocks are held in the'slots 45 of the actuators. The forward edgesof the faucet actuators preferably include one or more upturned handletabs 47 to facilitate the manual manipulation thereof.

The lower front wall portion of the cabinet 10 is also recessed todefine therein a well 48 beneath the faucets 30 of the beveragecontainers. The well 48 provides sufficient space beneath each faucet 30to position a drinking cup or other receptacle to catch water or otherbeverage discharged from the faucets when they are opened by theiractuators. A shallow drain receptor tray 49 is removably positioned atthe bottom of the well 48 to collect spillage therein. 7

Referring again to FIG. 1, it will be noted that the condensate draintrough 21 'formed in the bottom wall of the cooling chamber 23 isprovided in its central region with a funnel-shaped drain outlet 50 towhich is connected the upper end of a drainage tube 51. The drainagetube 51 extends downwardly through an opening 52 formed in a diagonalfairing plate 53 disposed at the top of 'the well 48,so as to dischargecondensates initially collected in the trough 21 to the receptor tray 49positioned in the bottom of the well 48.

The operationof the present beverage cooler is believed readilyapparent. However, when it is desired to use the cooler, at least one,and preferably two, of the containers 24 are placed in the coolingchamber 23 by first unfastening the flexible plastic latch 26 andremoving the closure panel 25 to gain free access to the cooling chamberfrom the front opening thereof. The containers 24 are placed in thecooling chamber so that the stationary barrel portions 29 of theirfaucets 30 rest in the semicircular recesses 31 formed in the flange 17a(see FIG. 5), and the enlarged heads 46 are engaged in the T-shapedslots 45 of the faucet actuators 35 and 36. The closure panel is thenreplaced to close the cooling chamber and securely locked in position bythe latch 26.

Energization of the refrigeration system, which is normallythermostaticallycontrolled, functions to circulate a refrigerant throughthe cooling coils l4 and thus cool the contents of the cooling chamber23.

When itis desired to discharge beverage from the cooler, either one orthe other of the actuators 35 and 36 may be manually pivoted outwardlyto move the ported valve cock element 32 axially outwardly from thebarrel portion 29 of the faucet (see broken lines FIG. 5), and thuspermit the beverage to flow by gravity outwardly and downwardly from thefaucet into a cup or other receptacle held within the recessed frontwall of the cabinet beneath the faucet. The torsion spring assembly 44associated with each of the faucet actuators will function to return theactuator and faucet to their closed positions upon release of theactuator to thus minimize spillage. When either or both of the beveragecontainers have been emptied, they may be readily and easily replacedwith full containers simply by removing the closure panel 25 to thusgain access to the cooling chamber.

As will be apparent, the present cooler may be used in the home, office,restaurant, or any other populated area to refrigerate and dispensepotable water or substantially any other liquid beverage packaged withinthe disposable type plastic container without requiring transfer of thebeverage from the packaging container into the cooler structure.

While a single preferred embodiment of the invention has beenillustrated and described in detail, it Will be understood that variousmodifications in details of 6 tively spaced apart, outer and inner wallsdefining a fowardly opening compartment to receive and house ashape-retentive, cubicle beverage container with the faucet of saidcontainer extending forwardly and outwardly beyond said compartment,said compartment being defined in part by a forwardly and outwardlysloping bottom wall arranged to tilt a beverage container positioned insaid compartment slightly downwardly and outwardly toward its faucet;refrigerantcirculating means including a cooling element positioned inadjacent, heat-exchange relation to at least one of the inner walls ofsaid cabinet and operable to cool the contents of said compartment; athermally in sulated closure panel removably carried on said cabinet inclosing relation to said compartment and having a recessed lower edgeportion arranged to fit around and permit access to the faucet of abeverage container positioned in said compartment; and a manuallyoperable, spring-biased faucet-actuating handle pivotally carried on theexterior of said cabinet beneath the recessed lower edge portion ofsaidclosure panel for engagement with the faucetof a beverage containerpositioned in said compartment, said handle being operable upon manualrelease to close the faucet of a beverage container withv which it isengaged. Y

Z. A refrigerated cooler according to claim 1, wherein the bottom wallof said compartment is formed toward the forward portion of saidcompartment with a drain trough having an outlet connected with aremotely extending drain tube arranged to discharge condensates fromsaid compartment.

1. A refrigerated cooler for a generally cubicle, shaperetentivebeverage container of the type having a faucet extending outwardly froma forward end thereof; said cooler comprising a cabinet havingrelatively spaced apart, outer and inner walls defining a fowardlyopening compartment to receive and house a shape-retentive, cubiclebeverage container with the faucet of said container extending forwardlyand outwardly beyond said compartment, said compartment being defined inpart by a forwardly and outwardly sloping bottom wall arranged to tilt abeverage container positioned in said compartment slightly downwardlyand outwardly toward its faucet; refrigerantcirculating means includinga cooling element positioned in adjacent, heat-exchange relation to atleast one of the inner walls of said cabinet and operable to cool thecontents of said compartment; a thermally insulated closure panelremovably carried on said cabinet in closing relation to saidcompartment and having a recessed lower edge portion arranged to fitaround and permit access to the faucet of a beverage containerpositioned in said compartment; and a manually operable, springbiasedfaucet-actuating handle pivotally carried on the exterior of saidcabinet beneath the recessed lower edge portion of said closure panelfor engagement with the faucet of a beverage container positioned insaid compartment, said handle being operable upon manual release toclose the faucet of a beverage container with which it is engaged.
 2. Arefrigerated cooler according to claim 1, wherein the bottom wall ofsaid compartment is formed toward the forward portion of saidcompartment with a drain trough having an outlet connected with aremotely extending drain tube arranged to discharge condensates fromsaid compartment.